■essential question ■essential question: –to what degree were teddy roosevelt, william...
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Who was Teddy Roosevelt? ■View “TR” biography excerptTRANSCRIPT
The Republican Roosevelt■The McKinley assassination (1901)
made Teddy Roosevelt president:–TR was an activist president who
knew how to guide public opinion–Unlike most Gilded Age
Republicans, Roosevelt refused to ignore social inequalities
–He believed gov’t agencies should be run by experts
TR thought of presidency as a bully pulpit to advocate his agenda
W.H. Taft to Sec of War (governor of Philippines)
The Anthracite Coal Strike, 1902■In 1902, the United Mine Workers
went on strike to demand higher pay & an eight-hour work day–The anthracite
coal strike lasted 11 months & threatened the nation as winter approached
Teddy Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”■In an unprecedented move for a
Gilded Age president, TR did not immediately side with the owners–TR forced both
sides to arbitrate & threatened gov’t seizure of the coal mine
–The result was a “square deal” for both sides
TR’s “Square Deal” is the inspiration for future presidents: FDR’s New Deal,
Wilson’s New Freedom & Truman’s Fair Deal
TR accepted monopolies as a fact of life for 20th century business but viewed
regulation as the best way to tame trusts who use corrupt business practices
TR the Trustbuster? ■TR was not always consistent:
–Initiated suits against beef trust, American Tobacco, DuPont, Standard Oil, & New Haven RR
–But he relied on business to gain re-election in 1904; sought the advice of JP Morgan; allowed some monopolistic mergers
–The Roosevelt administration only “busted” 25 trusts in 7 years
Taft busted 43 monopolies in 4 years
■TR was a popular president & won a landslide victory in 1904
“Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for or accept
another nomination”
Regulating the Railroads■TR’s re-election agenda focused
on business regulation:–Hepburn Act (1906) regulation of
railroads–The Food & Drug Act (1906)
& Meat Inspection Act (1906) protected consumers
Conserving the Land■TR created the 1st comprehensive
national conservation policy:–TR defined “conservation” as
wise use of natural resources–Created the Reclamation Service
to place natural resources (oil, trees, coal) under federal domain
–From 1901 to 1908, U.S. gov’t preserves grew from 45 million acres to 195 million acres
The Taft Presidency■TR remained true to his promise
not to run for a 3rd term & helped pick William Howard Taft as the Republican nominee for president
■Taft seemed ready to carry out TR’s political agenda
“I feel a bit like a fish out of water…I hate the limelight.”
The Taft Presidency■But, Taft was poorly equipped to
continue Roosevelt’s agenda:–Taft did not trust the gov’t to
regulate business behavior –He didn’t have the flair of TR;
Taft was “too honest & sincere”–Taft tended to side with
conservative Republicans rather than progressive Republicans
Taft backed the Payne-Aldrich Tariff (1909) which angered progressive Republicans who
wanted more foreign competition to force monopolies to reduce their prices
Taft fired Pinchot, TR’s chief conservationist after the Ballinger-Pinchot Affair
These issues divided the Republican Party into progressive & “Old Guard” factions opening the door for a Democrat in the
1912 presidential election
The Taft Presidency■Despite these set backs, Taft
helped push through significant progressive legislation:–16th Amendment was written;
created a national income tax–17th Amendment was written;
direct election of U.S. Senators–Safety codes for miners & RRs–Created the Children’s Bureau
All the work to create the 16th & 17th amendments was done under Taft, but
neither was ratified while Taft was president
The Election of 1912■TR decided to run against Taft for
the Republican nomination in 1912 but conservative Republicans refused to nominate him over Taft
■TR was nominated to the new Progressive (Bull Moose) Party
■Democrats nominated former Princeton president & NJ governor Woodrow Wilson who ran as a progressive reformer
“I’m feeling like a Bull Moose!”
This further divided the already fragmented Republican Party
The Election of 1912TR’s New Nationalism■ U.S. needs a nat’l
approach to reform & a strong president
■ Social-justice reforms: protection of women, children, workers; “good” trusts to help growth
■ 1st to enlist women
WW’s New Freedom■ U.S. needs small
gov’t, free trade & competition
■ Both plans saw the economy as the central issue, but Wilson distrusted federal power & nat’l planning
Democrats not only won the presidency, but also outright control of both House & Senate
Eugene Debs (Socialist) came in a distant 4th
The 1912 election was the most significant 4-way election since 1860:
Lincoln (Republican), Stephen Douglas (Northern
Democrat), John Breckenridge (Southern Democrat), John Bell (Constitutional-
Union)
Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom■Wilson believed in strong, activist
leadership & helped push through many “New Freedom” ideas:–Underwood Tariff Act (1913)
reduced tariffs & created the 1st graduated income tax
–Federal Reserve Act (1913): the Federal Reserve regulates the economy by adjusting the money supply & interest rates
1% tax for all, but 2% for the rich
The 1st efficient national banking system since Jackson destroyed the BUS in 1832
Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom–Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)
banned interlocking directorates & held business officers personally liable for monopolies; helped workers by allowing strikes & banning injunctions
■As the 1916 elections neared, Wilson pushed for more social reforms…but U.S. involvement in WWI in 1917 distracted Americans from progressive reform
Federal Farm Loan Act
Endorsed an 8-hour day for all workers
Supported women’s suffrage
Defended unions’ right to collectively bargain
The End of Progressive Reform■When World War I ended in 1919,
the last of the progressive reforms were enacted:–In 1919, the temperance
movement gained a victory when the 18th amendment & Volstead Act prohibited alcohol
–In 1920, women were rewarded for their WW1 contribution with the right to vote (19th amendmt)
The Fruits of Progressivism■Progressive reforms led to:
–Urban & labor improvements–Direct primaries & female voting–More gov’t responsibility for
social welfare –Regulatory commissions–Increased importance of interest
groups & public opinion polls–An “expert” bureaucracy –A more powerful presidency
■WWI ended the Progressive Era